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Texas lands 5-star C Mohamed Bamba over Kentucky, Duke

Nick Moyle| on May 18, 2017

Photo: Tim Clayton - Corbis/Corbis Via Getty Images

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 14: Mohamed Bamba #11 in action during the Jordan Brand Classic, National Boys Team All-Star basketball game at The Barclays Center on April 14, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 14: Mohamed Bamba #11 in action during the Jordan Brand Classic, National Boys Team All-Star basketball game at The Barclays Center on April 14, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Tim

Team USA’s Mohamed Bamba blocks a shot by World Select Team’s R.J. Barrett during the Nike Hoop Summit basketball game in Portland, Ore., on April 7, 2017.

Team USA’s Mohamed Bamba blocks a shot by World Select Team’s R.J. Barrett during the Nike Hoop Summit basketball game in Portland, Ore., on April 7, 2017.

Photo: Pete Christopher /Associated Press

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 14: Mohamed Bamba #11 in action during the Jordan Brand Classic, National Boys Team All-Star basketball game at The Barclays Center on April 14, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - April 14: Mohamed Bamba #11 in action during the Jordan Brand Classic, National Boys Team All-Star basketball game at The Barclays Center on April 14, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Tim

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JUNE 18: Mohamed Bamba #86 in red goes for a dunk during the NBPA Top 100 Camp on June 18, 2015 at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Getty Images)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JUNE 18: Mohamed Bamba #86 in red goes for a dunk during the NBPA Top 100 Camp on June 18, 2015 at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Getty Images)

Photo: Kelly Kline/Getty Images

Texas lands 5-star C Mohamed Bamba over Kentucky, Duke

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On Thursday morning consensus five-star center Mohamed Bamba published a letter on The Players’ Tribune website.

The highest-ranked undecided recruit in the nation had finally chosen where he would play in 2017-18.

There was still a bit more waiting to be done – the letter’s first 600 words were an introspective explanation of his process.

The next eight read as beautifully as an Oscar Wilde ballad to UT coach Shaka Smart.

“I’ve decided to attend the University of Texas.”

Bamba in January whittled his list down to four schools – UT, Kentucky, Duke and Michigan – and made it clear he would not acquiesce to anyone’s time frame but his own.

For the 7-foot, 216-pound Harlem native, this decision was about more than a basketball jersey.

Bamba, who attended Westtown School in Pennsylvania, is in many ways the archetypal “one-and-done” prospect, a player who likely would have made the prep-to-pro leap had NBA rules allowed it. But what differentiates Bamba is his mind – he qualified academically for admission into Harvard and has written guests blogs for several noteworthy publications, including USA Today.

“My academic focus is not just lip service,” Bamba wrote. “It’s extremely important to me and my family, but I also firmly believe that the best class I’ll ever take will actually be taught by the people I will surround myself with.

“I feel especially fortunate to explore my academic interests within the McCombs School of Business, one of the nation’s top undergraduate BBA programs. Learning from world-class professors and classmates in Austin, a city that’s renowned for tech and innovation, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Top-notch business program aside, Bamba’s existing relationship with Smart played a key role in his choice.

Bamba was a member of the Smart-led USA Basketball U18 National Team, which captured a gold medal at the 2016 FIBA Americas Championship.

Smart didn’t know it at the time, but the gangly teenager used that international expedition as a chance to assess him.

“Coach Smart may not have been aware of it, but I put him through a weeklong job interview last summer when he coached me on Team USA in Valdivia, Chile,” Bamba wrote. ”We instantly formed a bond. Now, the tables have turned, and I’m the one interviewing with him, hoping to show I can play a major role in his team’s success next season. His attention to detail is truly unbelievable — I can’t tell you how many times he picked up on something I mentioned in passing and brought it back full circle several months later. I’ve seen firsthand how much he genuinely cares about me and my family and how he’s going to challenge me to be in a state of continuous improvement.”

Bamba should slide right into the spot vacated by outgoing freshman Jarrett Allen, a likely lottery selection in the coming NBA draft.

“I’m extremely excited that Mo has chosen Texas,” Smart said in a statement. “He’s as unique a person and player as I’ve been around. Mo’s combination of talent, intellect and ability to impact others will make him a catalyst in our program and on our campus from day one.”

Bamba led Westtown to consecutive state titles as a junior and senior, averaging 12.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.4 blocks for a 32-2 squad last season.

His overall accolades are too many to fully list, but here are a few: 2017 McDonald’s All-American, 2017 Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year, 2017 Naismith Trophy High School All-America first team.

He is ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, and No. 3 by ESPN.

The ripple effects of Bamba’s choice could be felt immediately, both outside of the program and within.

Freshman guard Andrew Jones declared for this year’s draft but did not hire an agent, retaining his college eligibility.

"I hope so,” Smart said when asked whether Bamba’s signing could affect Jones’ decision. “Andrew is very confident. He and Mo have talked."

Jones’ return, paired with the arrivals of incoming recruits Bamba, Matt Coleman, Jase Febres, Royce Hamm and Jericho Simms, could make UT one of the nation’s most formidable teams.

But that’s another decision for another day.

Thursday was all about Bamba, about Smart besting John Calipari and Mike Krzyzewski, about UT changing its trajectory.

''It's a great day for us, for our team, for our program,” Smart said.